The best way to tell if you are dealing with the hyper-intelligent rats of NIMH (as opposed to the slow-witted garden variety) is to find out what they like to eat.  The rats I have been dealing with here in J-town, those still living that is, prefer biscuits with a nice smudge of strawberry jam on top.  Definitely, NIMH rodents.

How do I know this?  Well, through careful observation and experimentation, of course.  After two "trap-related" kills, I decided it would be my weapon of choice (having lost faith in the poison and the sonic deterrent device.)  Having some fresh biscuits and jam on hand, I thought to myself, "What creature on this planet could possibly resist a plush, butter-milk biscuit?"  So I put a careful pinch on my metal trap, swiped a patch of jam on top, pulled the metal arm back paying careful attention to my own thumbs, and Voila!

And my hypothesis was absolutely correct.  When I peaked into the kitchen the next morning after setting the trap, the biscuit had worked!  Sort of…

To my shock and horror the trap had not gone off, but the bait had been completely consumed.  There’s nothing worse than reeling in on your rod when you get a good bite only to find that your worm has vanished and you’ve just provided a free meal to a big fish.

That evening I knew what I was going to use for bait and my goal was to make sure that the biscuit was securely fastened to the trap.  To ensure my success I even set TWO traps with the same enticing snack.  You know how this story is going to end don’t you…

Yeah, the next morning, brimming with confidence I thrust open the kitchen door only to discover two problems.

1. The biscuit and jam were once again consumed from one of the traps AND somehow it had not gone off either.  (Mind you I had changed traps just to ensure that I wasn’t falling victim to a faulty trap.)
2. The biscuit and jam from the second trap wasn’t touched even though it was located a mere 6 inches from the first.

So, I guess I’ve been fattening this one up (we hope it’s only one at least).  I keep thinking to myself that it has to make a mistake at some point, but I’m beginning to have my doubts.

In the meantime I’ve been debating the pros and cons of buying an owl versus enrolling in flute lessons.